SHORT STORIES – SURFING
SURFING
Automatic translation from the original story in Spanish. Not checked manually
The sun, full of joy, began the journey of that summer day, spreading without measure, its summer heat.
After a short time, the air began to feel the suffocation of the oppressive heat and to alleviate it, he asked his son for the Levant wind to blow strongly to refresh him.
Suddenly, the sea, which until then was absolutely calm, was enraged when it felt the intense gusts that Levant slid over its surface. To quell his anger, he sent waves of more than four meters against the sand that, outside his bed, formed a beach that separated him from the mainland.
The sand, used to the mood swings of the sea, let itself be swayed by the waves, which beat it mercilessly, amalgamating with them to return, as the sea demanded, to the placid seabed.
Meanwhile, in the nearby fishing port, the old fishermen’s boats were beached on the sand, far from the fierce roar of the sea.
Those elders knew that it was not worth risking their lives, because with the rough sea, the inhabitants that they fished. Swam in deeper waters and their nets could not catch them… And in case of catching a very large fish they could not raise it to the boats. They should tow it tied to them, with which the predators would eat it and arrive at the port dragging only a huge thorn… as happened in the “The Old Man and The Sea”.
Nearby, oblivious to everything, four young people watched from the cliff, with their surfboards under their arms, as the sea brutally hit the battered sand.
One of them, the youngest, perhaps out of inexperience, perhaps to demonstrate absurd courage, or simply out of unconsciousness said:
“I’m going to ride those waves…
-Are you crazy! The others replied.
“I must …” he replied as without a hint of doubt he directed his steps towards the beach.
Against all odds, the young man had made enough of the shore to try to start his risky adventure.
He incomprehensibly managed to get to his feet on the board and slid down the bestial tube of a wave of more than four meters.
As the crest of the wave, he struggled to reunite with all of him, the young people who, alarmed, observed his feat, lost sight of him, never to see him reappear…
Absolutely alarmed, they managed to call marine emergencies who, although they censured them that they had not avoided the recklessness of their friend, rushed there.
Half an hour had passed when they arrived and there was no sign of the boy… They were going to call the helicopter to take a pass over the area. although they did not expect him to remain alive. Suddenly, above the height of the waves that broke On the sand, a huge sleeve of sea propelled a surfboard away from the shore.
Just then they saw that the irresponsible young man was clinging to her, with arms, legs and possibly teeth … that yes, completely naked. Whether by chance, by joke or, perhaps, by magnanimity, the sea the only tribute that had been collected was the terrified boy’s swimsuit… who was still clinging to the board…
When they came to rescue him, the boy did not show a scratch, but it cost them God and help to separate him from the table … Of course, when he did, the young man only managed to say:
“Drop the board!”
Surfing – Short stories series – Copyright © Montserrat Valls and Juan Genovés